"and hunting over the open oceans, and migrating eastward to the coasts of Ecuador and Peru. The swallow-tailed gull is unique among the gulls in feeding exclusively nocturnally, mostly on fish and squid which rise to the surface at night to feed on plankton. It leaves the colony as a flock at dusk, with a great deal of screaming and display. Calls and displays are quite different from other gulls, most resembling the vocalisations of the black-legged kittiwake and Sabine's gull. The loudest and most commonly heard call is an alarm referred to as ""rattle-and-whistle"", a gurgling scream made with"
"Iceland gull The Iceland gull (""Larus glaucoides"") is a medium size gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland; although not in Iceland (as its name suggests), where it is only seen during winter. The genus name is from Latin ""Larus"" which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific ""glaucoides"" denotes its resemblance to ""Larus glaucus"", a synonym of ""Larus hyperboreus"", the glaucous gull; ""-oides"" is Ancient Greek and means ""resembling"". It is migratory, wintering from in the North Atlantic as far south as the British Isles and northernmost states of"
"species. The two species are thought to have separated around 2 million years ago, longer ago than most groups of gull species. Geographical variation is slight; birds from Alaska are slightly darker and perhaps bigger. Most authorities recognise no races, but a few recognise four based on size and mantle (back) colour. The Handbook of the Birds of the World recognises four subspecies. The nominate subspecies, ""X. s. sabini"", breeds from the Canadian Arctic to Greenland. ""X. s. palaearctica"" (Stegman, 1934) breeds from Spitsbergen to the Taymyr Peninsula in Russia, and ""X. s. tschuktschorum"" (Portenko, 1939) breeds on the Chukotskiy"
"Iceland gull. Both the common and species names honor ornithologist John Eliot Thayer, and so the first part of its name is pronounced ""THAY-erz"". Thayer's gull Thayer's gull (""Larus glaucoides thayeri"") is a subspecies of the Iceland gull. It is a large gull native to North America that breeds in the Arctic islands of Canada and winters primarily on the Pacific coast, from southern Alaska to the Gulf of California, though there are also wintering populations on the Great Lakes and the upper Mississippi River. The species has occurred as a vagrant to Japan, Denmark, and other parts of western"
"easy to identify. At , it has a different, more pigeon-like shape than the ""Larus"" gulls, but the adult has completely white plumage, lacking the grey back of other gulls. The thick bill is blue with a yellow tip, and the legs are black. The bill is tipped with red, and the eyes have a fleshy, bright red eye-ring in the breeding season. Its flight call cry is a harsh, tern-like ""keeeer"". It has many other vocalizations, including a warbling ""fox-call"" that indicates potential predators such as an Arctic fox, polar bear, Glaucous Gull or human near a nest, a"
"Swallow-tailed gull The swallow-tailed gull (""Creagrus furcatus"") is an equatorial seabird in the gull family, Laridae. It is the only species in the genus Creagrus, which derives from the Latin ""Creagra"" and the Greek ""kreourgos"" which means butcher, also from ""kreas"", meat; according to Jobling it would mean ""hook for meat"" referring to the hooked bill of this species. It was first described by French naturalist and surgeon Adolphe-Simon Neboux in 1846. Its scientific name is originally derived from the Greek word for gull, ""Glaros"" and via Latin ""Larus"", ""gull"" and ""furca"" ""two-tined fork"". It spends most of its life"
"Caspian gull The Caspian gull (taxon ""Larus cachinnans)"" is a large gull and a member of the herring and lesser black-backed gull complex. The scientific name is from Latin. ""Larus"" appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird, and ""cachinnans"" means ""laughing"", from ""cachinnare"", ""to laugh"". It is a large gull at long, with a wingspan and a body mass of . Among standard measurements, the wing chord is , the bill is and the tarsus is . The Caspian gull has a long, slender bill, accentuated by the sloping forehead. The legs, wings and neck are"
"of , with a wingspan of and a weight of approximately . Males average around and females, being slightly smaller, average . Among standard measurements, the wing chord is , the bill is and the tarsus is . During winter, it is found in small numbers among mixed flocks of large gulls, though it may gather in large numbers in certain locations. In summer, it is found on the tundra of high Arctic islands. These gulls with lay 3 bluish or greenish eggs in nests lined with grass, moss or lichens. Their voice consists of mostly mewing and squealing notes."
"Glaucous gull The glaucous gull (""Larus hyperboreus"") is a large gull, the second largest gull in the world, which breeds in Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and winters south to shores of the Holarctic. The genus name is from Latin ""Larus"", which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific ""hyperboreus"" is Latin for ""northern"" from the Ancient Greek ""Huperboreoi"" people from the far north ""Glaucous"" is from Latin ""glaucus"" and denotes a bluish-green or grey colour. This gull is migratory, wintering from in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans as far south"
"List, Iceland gull (""Larus glaucoides"") and ivory gull (""Pagophila eburnea)"". Edmondston’s publications revealed a careful observer, capable of recognising that several ‘species’ recognised at the time were others in juvenile or winter plumages; for example, ‘speckled diver’ was winter-plumaged red-throated diver (""Gavia stellata)"" and ‘black-billed auk’ was juvenile razorbill (""Alca torda)"". He was also a pioneer conservationist as, in 1831, he instructed the shepherds on Hermaness on Unst to ensure the safety of the tiny population of breeding great skuas. Edmondston studied medicine at Edinburgh and became the island doctor on Unst, living at Halligarth, where he established a plantation"
"Thayer's gull Thayer's gull (""Larus glaucoides thayeri"") is a subspecies of the Iceland gull. It is a large gull native to North America that breeds in the Arctic islands of Canada and winters primarily on the Pacific coast, from southern Alaska to the Gulf of California, though there are also wintering populations on the Great Lakes and the upper Mississippi River. The species has occurred as a vagrant to Japan, Denmark, and other parts of western Europe. Somewhat intermediate between American herring gull and Iceland gull in habit and appearance and at times considered conspecific with either species, the adult"
"and thinner-billed than the very large glaucous gull, and is usually smaller than the herring gull. It takes four years to reach maturity. The call is a ""laughing"" cry like herring gull, but higher pitched. Like most ""Larus"" gulls, these are omnivores, eating fish, molluscs, offal, scraps, and eggs. They forage while flying, picking up food at or just below the water's surface, also feeds while walking or swimming. Their scavenging habits lead them to frequent garbage dumps, sewage outlets, and places where fish are cleaned. Iceland gull The Iceland gull (""Larus glaucoides"") is a medium size gull which breeds"
"""sagus"", ""cloak"". Slaty-backed gull The slaty-backed gull (""Larus schistisagus"") is a large white-headed gull that breeds on the north-eastern coast of Asia but travels widely during nonbreeding seasons. It is similar in appearance to the western gull and the glaucous-winged gull. Another alternate name is Pacific gull, though this also applies to a southern hemisphere species, ""Larus pacificus"". Claims have been made as to its (sometimes occasional) presence throughout North America as well as the eastern coast of Asia. On November 3, 2012, an individual was spotted in Finland. The species has only been spotted three times before in Europe."
"Kumlien's gull Kumlien's gull (""Larus glaucoides kumlieni"") is a large gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada. It is migratory, wintering from Labrador south to New England and west across the Great Lakes. The species is named after the Swedish-American naturalist Thure Kumlien. It is a regular vagrant in small numbers to Britain and Ireland. It has variably been considered a full species, a subspecies of Thayer's gull, a subspecies of Iceland gull, and a hybrid between the aforementioned species, all of which are considered subspecies of the Iceland gull as of 2017. This taxon breeds colonially or"
"bodies, due to the high amount of ocean water that they imbibe. This gland excretes a high saline solution from their nose. The northern fulmar was first described as ""Fulmarus glacialis"" by Carl Linnaeus, in 1761, based on a specimen from within the Arctic Circle, on Spitsbergen. The northern fulmar consists of three sub-species: ""Fulmarus glacialis"" can be broken down to the Old Norse word ' meaning ""foul"" and ' meaning ""gull"". ""Foul-gull"" is in reference to its stomach oil and also its superficial similarity to seagulls. Finally, """" is Latin for ""glacial"" because of its extreme northern range. The"
"Black-tailed gull The black-tailed gull (""Larus crassirostris"") is a gull native to shorelines of East Asia. The black-tailed gull is medium-sized (46 cm), with a wingspan of 126–128 cm. It has yellow legs and a red and black spot at the end of the bill. Males and females have identical plumage and features, although males are larger in size than females. This gull takes four years to reach full adult plumage. As the name suggests, it has a black tail. The bird has a cat-like call, giving it its Japanese name — ""umineko"" (海猫, ""sea cat""), and Korean name —"
"a young gull begging for food and the sound of a female during mating are also included in the contact call. Black-tailed gull The black-tailed gull (""Larus crassirostris"") is a gull native to shorelines of East Asia. The black-tailed gull is medium-sized (46 cm), with a wingspan of 126–128 cm. It has yellow legs and a red and black spot at the end of the bill. Males and females have identical plumage and features, although males are larger in size than females. This gull takes four years to reach full adult plumage. As the name suggests, it has a black"
"Lesser black-backed gull The lesser black-backed gull (""Larus fuscus"") is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa. It is a regular winter visitor to the east coast of North America, probably from the breeding population in Iceland. The lesser black-backed gull was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th-century work, ""Systema Naturae"", and it still bears its original name of ""Larus fuscus"". The scientific name is from Latin. ""Larus"" appears to have referred to a gull or other large"
"Black-headed gull The black-headed gull (""Chroicocephalus ridibundus"") is a small gull that breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory and winters further south, but some birds reside in the milder westernmost areas of Europe. Some black-headed gulls also spend the winter in northeastern North America, where it was formerly known as the common black-headed gull. As is the case with many gulls, it was previously placed in the genus ""Larus"". The genus name "" Chroicocephalus"" is from Ancient Greek ""khroizo"", ""to colour"", and ""kephale"", ""head"". The specific ""ridibundus"""
"Franklin's gull The Franklin's gull (""Leucophaeus pipixcan"") is a small (length 12.6–14.2 in, 32–36 cm) gull. The genus name ""Leucophaeus"" is from Ancient Greek ""leukos"", ""white"", and ""phaios"", ""dusky"". The specific ""pipixcan"" is a Nahuatl name for a type of gull. It breeds in central provinces of Canada and adjacent states of the northern United States. It is a migratory bird, wintering in Argentina, the Caribbean, Chile, and Peru. The summer adult's body is white and its back and wings are much darker grey than all other gulls of similar size except the larger laughing gull. The wings have black"
"Slaty-backed gull The slaty-backed gull (""Larus schistisagus"") is a large white-headed gull that breeds on the north-eastern coast of Asia but travels widely during nonbreeding seasons. It is similar in appearance to the western gull and the glaucous-winged gull. Another alternate name is Pacific gull, though this also applies to a southern hemisphere species, ""Larus pacificus"". Claims have been made as to its (sometimes occasional) presence throughout North America as well as the eastern coast of Asia. On November 3, 2012, an individual was spotted in Finland. The species has only been spotted three times before in Europe. This species"
"Glaucous-winged gull The glaucous-winged gull (""Larus glaucescens"") is a large, white-headed gull. The genus name is from Latin ""Larus"" which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific ""glaucescens"" is New Latin for ""glaucous"" from the Ancient Greek, ""glaukos"". English ""Glaucous"" denotes a bluish-green or grey colour. The glaucous-winged gull is rarely found far from the ocean. It is a resident from the western coast of Alaska to the coast of Washington. It also breeds on the northwest coast of Alaska, in the summertime. During non-breeding seasons they can be found along the coast of"
"Laughing gull The laughing gull (""Leucophaeus atricilla"") is a medium-sized gull of North and South America. Named for its laugh-like call, it is an opportunistic omnivore and scavenger. It breeds in large colonies mostly along the Atlantic coast of North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. The two subspecies are: ""L. a. megalopterus"" – which can be seen from southeast Canada down to Central America, and ""L. a. atricilla"" which appears from the West Indies to the Venezuelan islands. The laughing gull was long placed in the genus ""Larus"" until its present placement in ""Leucophaeus"", which follows the American"
"crested coot, toed eagles, sandpipers, duck, quail, redstart, black redstart, merlin, black starling, starling, Flamingo, coot, horned coot, whiskered tern, black tern, pin-tailed sandgrouse, little egret, squacco heron, herring gull, Audouin's gull, black-headed gull, dark gull, purple heron, gray heron, barn swallow, red-rumped swallow, sparrow, house sparrow, tree sparrow, Spanish sparrow, jackdaw, honey buzzard, peregrine falcon, crested tit,blue- tit, goldfinch, eared owl, barn owl, kingfisher, heron, black kite, red kite, common blackbird, glossy ibis, chiffchaff, cattle egrets, teals, bittern, little egret, white wagtail, yellow wagtail, purple gallinule, penduline tit, woodcock, brown nighthawks, wood pigeon, shoveler, robin, spotted woodpecker, finch, woodpecker,"
"Pallas's gull The Pallas's gull or great black-headed gull (""Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus"") is a large gull. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus ""Larus"". The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. ""Ichthyaetus"" is from ""ikhthus"", ""fish"", and ""aetos"", ""eagle"". This species breeds in colonies in marshes and islands from southern Russia to Mongolia. It is migratory, wintering in the eastern Mediterranean, Arabia and India. This gull nests on the ground, laying between two and four eggs. It occurs in western Europe only as a rare vagrant. In Great Britain a recent review left"
"laid. The nominate subspecies, ""L. g. glaucoides"", is very pale in all plumages, with absolutely no melanin in the tips of the primaries in adult plumage. Adults are pale grey above, with a yellowish-green bill. Immatures are very pale grey; the bill is more extensively dark than with glaucous gull, and lacks pink. The Iceland gull is a medium size gull, although relatively slender and light-weight. In length, it can measure from , wingspan is from and weight is from . Among standard measurements, the wing chord is , the bill is and the tarsus is . It is smaller"
"Ornithologists' Union. The genus name ""Leucophaeus"" is from Ancient Greek ""leukos"", ""white"", and ""phaios"", ""dusky"". The specific ""atricilla"" is from Latin ""ater"", ""black"", and ""cilla"", ""tail"". Linnaeus appears to have misread his note ""atricapilla"" (black-haired), which would have been much more appropriate for this black-headed, but white-tailed, bird. It breeds on the Atlantic coast of North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Northernmost populations migrate farther south in winter, and this species occurs as a rare vagrant to western Europe. The laughing gull's English name is derived from its raucous ""kee-agh"" call, which sounds like a high-pitched laugh ""ha..."
"is tied with the Yellow-footed Gull for fourth largest gull species. Measures in length, in wingspan and weighs . Among standard measurements, the wing chord is , the bill is and the tarsus is . It has a white head, belly, and tail with a dark slaty-gray back and wings with a broad white trailing edge. The wings and back are slightly darker than those of the Western Gull. The underside of the wings features a ""string of pearls"" pattern along their edges; these can be seen from below when the bird is in flight. Its eyes are yellow. The"
"Shrine, and there is a large colony at Teuri Island in Hokkaido. A rare visitor to the United States, a black-tailed gull was spotted from Burlington, Vermont, in October 2005. The species has been spotted in Illinois several times. The species is common on the shoreline of Korea and on various islands. There are over 20,000 black-tailed gulls on Liancourt Rocks, and numbers are increasing due to the absence of predators. In 2008, the bird was officially chosen as one of the mascots of Liancourt Rocks. Nando and Hongdo islands, both Korean natural monuments as of 1982, are also known"
"Ring-billed gull The ring-billed gull (""Larus delawarensis"") is a medium-sized gull. The genus name is from Latin ""Larus"" which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific ""delawarensis"" refers to the Delaware River. Adults are length and have a wingspan. The head, neck and underparts are white; the relatively short bill is yellow with a dark ring; the back and wings are silver gray; and the legs are yellow. The eyes are yellow with red rims. This gull takes three years to reach its breeding plumage; its appearance changes with each fall moult. The ring-billed"
"Sir John Franklin, who led an in which the first specimen of Franklin's gull was taken. Franklin's gull The Franklin's gull (""Leucophaeus pipixcan"") is a small (length 12.6–14.2 in, 32–36 cm) gull. The genus name ""Leucophaeus"" is from Ancient Greek ""leukos"", ""white"", and ""phaios"", ""dusky"". The specific ""pipixcan"" is a Nahuatl name for a type of gull. It breeds in central provinces of Canada and adjacent states of the northern United States. It is a migratory bird, wintering in Argentina, the Caribbean, Chile, and Peru. The summer adult's body is white and its back and wings are much darker grey"
"is ""urus"". It is recorded in all three rune poems, and it is called Ur in all, however with different meanings: Ur (rune) The reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the Elder Futhark ""u"" rune is *Ūruz meaning ""wild ox"" or *Ūrą ""water"". It may have been derived from the Raetic alphabet character ""u"" as it is similar in both shape and sound value. The name of the corresponding letter in the Gothic alphabet is ""urus"". The Icelandic word for ""rain"" and the Old English for ""aurochs"" go back to two different Proto-Germanic words, ""*ūruz"" and ""*ūrą"" (although possibly from the same"
"nesting on the ground. Like most gulls, it is highly gregarious in winter, both when feeding or in evening roosts. It is not a pelagic species and is rarely seen at sea far from coasts. The black-headed gull is a bold and opportunistic feeder. It eats insects, fish, seeds, worms, scraps, and carrion in towns, or invertebrates in ploughed fields with equal relish. It is a noisy species, especially in colonies, with a familiar ""kree-ar"" call. Its scientific name means ""laughing gull"". This species takes two years to reach maturity. First-year birds have a black terminal tail band, more dark"